Dinner Out
by Merula
Summary: More sap, waff and all that kind of stuff. A VM fic. Title sums it up.rnOneshot.


Disclaimer: Trigun is not mine, but this sappy story is. In the great forest of life, all I have to offer is the sap. This is for all of you who read one of my other Trigun fics and asked for more. Hope you like it.  
  
The bed was comfortable. Very, very comfortable. Vash the Stampede put his head down on the pillow and sighed deeply. They had run into a sandstorm on their way here and the sand had gotten into everything. Meryl had complained that she felt like a piece of sandpaper as they had checked into the hotel. "I move and it scratches!" Millie had agreed with her, adding that she wanted a shower. Wolfwood had offered to take one with her. Millie had blushed, Meryl had rolled her eyes and Vash had just smiled, waiting patiently for the clerk to hand him the keys.  
  
Meryl had been right, as usual. The sand had gotten everywhere! After his shower, he'd shaken out his coat and bodysuit, and then rinsed them thoroughly. Fortunately, his pack had been tied tight enough to keep out most of the sand, so he could at least change his clothes. He rolled over on the bed, pillow neatly behind his head and closed his eyes.  
  
Someone tapped lightly on the door. Vash looked down to make sure his shirt covered the scars and then called out: "Come in!" Meryl stepped in and smiled at him. Her usual white outfit had apparently suffered the same fate as his gear. She was in a short lavender dress and sandals, looking more casual than he'd ever seen her.  
  
"I'm sorry to bug you, Mr. Vash, but do you want to go find some dinner with me? I'm hungry, and I'm sure you are too."  
  
"Sure," Vash sat up. "Wolfwood and the big girl waiting for us?" Meryl smiled mischievously.  
  
"Actually, no. They went off together. Millie said he owed her dinner, but..." She let her voice trail off suggestively.  
  
"Did they now? They seem to be going off alone a lot lately- walks, tea, looking for pudding. This is the first time for dinner though, isn't it?" Vash raised an eyebrow as he pulled on his shoes.  
  
"Yes." Meryl agreed, her voice tinged with amusement. "I don't mind pretending to be blind to it all until Millie feels like confiding in me, but I hate eating alone."  
  
"Well, you don't have to. Let's go." Vash followed her out of the hotel. With minimal fuss they found a little restaurant a block or so down.  
  
"I'm glad we're out of that storm," Meryl said as she studied the menu. "I thought I was never going to get all that sand off!"  
  
"You should've asked Wolfwood for help," Vash replied with a grin. "I'm sure he would've leant a helping hand."  
  
"I think he had his hands full helping Millie," Meryl replied archly, grinning as Vash blushed faintly.  
  
"Did he really?"  
  
"I think so," Meryl replied thoughtfully. "Millie wanted her own room this time." The waitress appeared and took their orders quietly.  
  
"Well.... I hope they're having a good time," Vash said as he handed his menu to the waitress. "They do seem to like each other." Meryl chuckled.  
  
"I think it goes a bit beyond that. Millie talks in her sleep..." she paused and grinned.  
  
"That's not fair- Wolfwood doesn't. But he does snore. Maybe I should tell Millie." Meryl started to giggle. "Y'know- warn her before she discovers it for herself." Vash paused thoughtfully. "Unless she has already... Maybe I should ask him if she knows about his nocturnal habits?"  
  
"He'd kill you," Meryl managed through her giggles.  
  
"He could try. So," Vash leaned forward over the table. "What does she say in her sleep?" Meryl turned pink.  
  
"I can't tell you. You'll tease her!"  
  
"Do you honestly think I would?" Vash looked indignant for a second and then grinned. "I'd tease Wolfwood."  
  
"Va-sh." Meryl groaned. "Are you trying to get me in trouble with Millie? Have you forgotten the stun gun? I don't care to be on the receiving end of it."  
  
"No one would." Vash smiled wider. A real genuine smile that made Meryl's breath catch in her throat.  
  
"But you're smiling at the thought..." She accused.  
  
"I'm smiling because you've finally dropped the 'mister'. Does this mean we're friends now, Meryl?" Vash asked before he could catch himself. Meryl looked into his eyes and smiled.  
  
"I thought we were already." The waitress arrived with their dinner. After she left, Meryl flushed a bit. "I'm sorry. I was trying to be professional..."  
  
"I know, and don't misunderstand me- I think you're great at your job- but I do get rather tired of being 'mistered' all the time by someone that I think of as a friend."  
  
"And I do get rather tired of being 'insurance girl'," Meryl admitted. "There's more to me than my job, after all. At least I hope so."  
  
"Oh there is," Vash assured her. "So, tell me about it."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"The other parts of your life."  
  
"Well, okay... but they're kind of boring." Vash grinned.  
  
"Or... you could tell me what Millie says in her sleep."  
  
"Okay, okay. How about this? I tell you one story from my life, and you tell me one from yours?"  
  
"Deal. Tell me how you met Millie?"  
  
"First day on the job. We were hired at the same time, interned together and then partnered up."  
  
"And the rest is history?" Meryl laughed.  
  
"Well, normally they partner you up with experienced agents. But, one day, we had this very difficult customer come in...."  
  
Vash was still laughing as the waitress brought dessert. "That was great. What do you want to hear?"  
  
"Dealer's choice." Meryl smiled.  
  
"Sheesh... I can't think of one. You could always tell me another one."  
  
"Vash, if I might point out- you're a lot older than me. You must have tons of stories."  
  
"The memory is the first thing to go..."  
  
"You could tell me why you always get so mad when Wolfwood barks at you." Meryl raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Uh- no. I thought of something else...."  
  
Meryl was giggling as they paid the bill and left the restaurant.  
  
"It wasn't that funny."  
  
"Yes it was." She calmed herself down.  
  
"So, your turn." Vash smiled at her. "Tell me who taught you to shoot so well."  
  
"That's a bit of a sad one."  
  
"It's okay." Vash shrugged. "I don't mind listening, if you don't mind telling it."  
  
"I don't. Well, I was twelve..."  
  
Vash wiped his eyes. "I told you it was sad." Meryl sat on the sofa in Vash's room, her legs curled up underneath her. He sat on the other end of the sofa, facing her.  
  
"I liked it though." Vash replied.  
  
"Your turn." Meryl smiled faintly.  
  
"What do you want to hear?"  
  
"Well, after a sad story, we need a happy one. Tell me about the happiest day of your life."  
  
"Happiest day of my life?" Vash repeated. "Well, I guess... that would be the day when Rem..."  
  
She held him tightly as he cried. He clung to her, accepting her comfort. "I didn't mean to make you sad," she whispered. "I'm sorry."  
  
"No... it's okay. I miss her. She- she shouldn't have died the way she did! How could Knives have done that? I thought he loved her too- didn't it seem like it?"  
  
"Yes, it did."  
  
"Afterwards- in the shuttle- he called her a stupid bitch- said he was glad she died. How could he? He loved her, Meryl. He did! And her last words were for him!"  
  
"Maybe he was upset- after all, he thought she was going to get on the shuttle too. Maybe he was trying to prove to himself that he didn't care. Calling her names, saying that it was a good thing she died- sounds like he was trying to convince himself that he didn't care." Meryl said gently. "People do it all the time."  
  
"Do you think so?"  
  
"Sure. I've done it." She bit her lip. Vash took a deep breath.  
  
"Yeah. I guess I have too." He seemed calmer, so she relaxed her hold on him. Instead of sliding away, he tightened his grip on her. "Meryl- can I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure, of course."  
  
"Have you ever... I mean, uh, you call me names all the time... how the hell do I ask this?" Meryl couldn't help smiling, even as her heart rate increased.  
  
"Yes," she replied. He looked at her.  
  
"Was that a 'yes, go on' or..."  
  
"Yes, I've done it to you." She was going to die of embarrassment.  
  
"Pretended you didn't care?" He was still staring at her. She wished he'd stop.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Yeah, me too." Vash sighed. Meryl looked startled.  
  
"Yeah, you too?" She repeated.  
  
"Why did you do it?"  
  
"Why?" Meryl bit her lip. "Well, at first because you annoyed the hell out of me. My life was very safe, and organized and normal.."  
  
"Before me."  
  
"And boring." Meryl added with a smile. "You made me think about things that I always avoided before. What did Wolfwood say? When I looked at you it reminded me of all the things I hated about myself. You just seem to have that effect on people." Meryl shook her head slightly. "So, I told myself that you really were an idiot and a fool."  
  
"I see." Vash looked at her. "If that was at first..."  
  
"Then there was Augusta. Millie and I were there you know."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"Uh huh. Millie at least had the brains to get us out of there before it got bad. That's when I realized that I cared... and you were gone. So I told myself that it was nothing- just desert madness, a tough assignment..."  
  
"And then they sent you back on the job."  
  
"You got it."  
  
"You have been nicer to me since then." Vash smiled, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
"Well, I'd like to think I know you better now." Meryl smiled. "You've been nicer too." He tugged her closer.  
  
"You aren't the only one that realized a few things." He traced the line of her face with a gentle finger. "Like how much I missed an annoying insurance girl when she wasn't around."  
  
"Annoying?" Meryl mock-pouted and he laughed.  
  
"Yes," he pulled her closer still. "But, annoying or not- you're my insurance girl."  
  
"Your insurance girl, hm? Think you can pay the premiums?"  
  
"Sure. How about a down payment?" Vash leaned forward and kissed her gently.  
  
"That'll do for a start. But don't forget you have to make frequent payments." Meryl smiled against his mouth.  
  
"Starting now." He agreed and did just that. 


End file.
